I am considering the purchase of a Festool Domino system. It is pretty pricey and I don’t have the funds to purchase the Festool dust collection system also. So my questions are do you need the dust collection system? Can a typical shop vac. work with the domino? Any good tips or things to know about the domino system?

You can get a festool hose to fit a common shop vac and you can also just buy the hose end to fit your hose. However you must have dust collection with that tool or it will never work correctly. You really can’t beat that tool. I’ve had mine for years and love but can’t justify the big new model. With a large domino its about 90% the strength of mortise joint and about 90% faster. Good luck!Todd

It’s the same as a festool hose but not anti static. I have this hose as well as the festool hose/ct36 and the domino. I normally connect the hose to the dust deputy and the dust deputy to the CT but you can go dust deputy to a shop vac. The downside of using a shop vac is no hepa filtration and no variable suction though with the domino you set it on high anyway.

Either way, the hose fitting on amazon is incorrect. If you look at the user photos you will see the actual hose fitting which is the same exact one as the festool hose. You can’t go wrong.

You will get stronger joints wth shop made smooth tenons. They glue up stronger and are way cheaper. Its also quite often advantageous to make wider mortises by adjoining your plunges. Make two side by side plunges near each other and a third to clear out the center to a wide mortise. A very useful tool. You absolutely need a vac. I got a cheap hose and hooked it up to a cheap Rigid vac and cheap auto swtch . Works fine. So dont waste money on the Festool acessories.

Lots of good advice above. The price is insane until you start using the tool then you’ll be fine with it. Vac is mandatory, although Festool unit is not required. Too much suction can be a problem as the tool “sticks” to your work. I’m not a Festool hoarder, most stuff seems over priced and nothing special but the Domino is a fantastic tool.

I will have to agree on the cheaper ways to do mortises. I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one that built his own domino from the plans available online. I still prefer my horizontal slot mortiser and my panto router for mortise and tenon joinery.